A paper sheet S is intermittently transported by a transport mechanism 6 and each processing unit 7, 8 operates while the transport mechanism pauses the transport operation. An information acquisition unit 9 obtains paper information from the paper sheet. A control unit 10 stores the paper information of the paper sheet to be processed for each processing unit, updates the data of the memory in a manner such that the paper information of the paper sheet associated with the previous processing unit is associated with the next processing unit every time the transport mechanism transports, and configures the settings of each processing unit for the next processing operation based on the paper information every time the processing operation of the processing unit is completed.

A postprocessing device performs postprocessing on sheets received from an image forming apparatus. The postprocessing device includes a pair of folding rollers, a folding blade, a transport device, a drive portion, and a drive controller. The drive controller controls the drive portion to match moving speed of a tip portion of the folding blade with moving speed of a circumferential surface of the folding rollers, at a time point that the sheaf of the sheets makes contact with the circumferential surface of the folding rollers, when the image forming apparatus forms the image by ink jet printing, and to match the moving speed of the tip portion of the folding blade with the moving speed of the circumferential surface of the folding rollers, at a time point that the sheaf of the sheets reaches the nip region between the folding rollers.

A first roller pair disposed upstream of a second roller pair is separated from each other by a separating mechanism. A control portion is configured to start rotating the second roller pair after a leading edge of a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction is abutted against the second roller pair in a stopped condition. The control portion is configured to execute, based on the information concerning the sheet length acquired by the acquisition portion, either one of a plurality of modes including a first mode of rotating an upstream roller pair and the first roller pair to convey the sheet while the first roller pair is in a contact condition and a second mode of operating the separating mechanism to separate the first roller pair and of rotating the upstream roller pair to convey the sheet while the first roller pair is in a separated condition.

A first roller pair disposed upstream of a second roller pair is separated from each other by a separating mechanism. A control portion is configured to start rotating the second roller pair after a leading edge of a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction is abutted against the second roller pair in a stopped condition. The control portion is configured to execute, based on the information concerning the sheet length acquired by the acquisition portion, either one of a plurality of modes including a first mode of rotating an upstream roller pair and the first roller pair to convey the sheet while the first roller pair is in a contact condition and a second mode of operating the separating mechanism to separate the first roller pair and of rotating the upstream roller pair to convey the sheet while the first roller pair is in a separated condition.

Folder systems and related methods are provided for accurately and efficiently folding a paper carrier that has a card attached without bending or dislodging the card from the carrier. A movable fold chute receives a portion of the carrier with the card attached and allows the carrier to fold while protecting the card portion of the carrier. The fold chute moves between different positions which allow the carrier to enter and exit through folding rollers along a generally straight paper path without forcing the cards around small radii, thereby preventing damage to the cards or causing them to separate from the carrier sheet.

Folder systems and related methods are provided for accurately and efficiently folding a paper carrier that has a card attached without bending or dislodging the card from the carrier. A movable fold chute receives a portion of the carrier with the card attached and allows the carrier to fold while protecting the card portion of the carrier. The fold chute moves between different positions which allow the carrier to enter and exit through folding rollers along a generally straight paper path without forcing the cards around small radii, thereby preventing damage to the cards or causing them to separate from the carrier sheet.

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a pair of rotary bodies configured to convey a sheet and correct a positional deviation of the sheet, a pair of downstream side sheet conveying bodies disposed downstream from the pair of rotary bodies in a sheet conveying direction and configured to convey the sheet, and a detector configured to detect separation of the pair of rotary bodies. The pair of rotary bodies moves the sheet by moving from a home position on a sheet conveyance passage through which the sheet passes. The pair of rotary bodies moves to the home position while the pair of downstream side sheet conveying bodies is conveying the sheet, in response to detection of the separation of the pair of rotary bodies by the detector.

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a pair of rotary bodies configured to convey a sheet and correct a positional deviation of the sheet, a pair of downstream side sheet conveying bodies disposed downstream from the pair of rotary bodies in a sheet conveying direction and configured to convey the sheet, and a detector configured to detect separation of the pair of rotary bodies. The pair of rotary bodies moves the sheet by moving from a home position on a sheet conveyance passage through which the sheet passes. The pair of rotary bodies moves to the home position while the pair of downstream side sheet conveying bodies is conveying the sheet, in response to detection of the separation of the pair of rotary bodies by the detector.

A sheet conveying device includes a pair of rollers including a first roller and a second roller to hold a sheet conveyed between the first and second rollers; a biasing member to bias the first roller toward the second roller; a biasing force changer to change a biasing force of the biasing member; control circuitry to, when a predetermined changing condition is met, cause the changer to change the biasing force and cause the rollers to convey the sheet; an operation detector to detect a changing operation of the changer; and a notification device to notify an abnormality of the changing operation when the operation detector detects the abnormality. When the operation detector detects the abnormality, the control circuitry performs sheet conveyance control to cause the rollers to convey the sheet without causing the changer to change the biasing force, regardless of whether the predetermined changing condition is met.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding portion, a side end regulating portion, a feeding portion, first and second feeding roller pairs, an abutment member, an obliquely feeding roller pair, and first and second contact-and-separation mechanisms. Feeding of a long sheet is stopped after the sheet is fed to an upstream side of the second feeding roller pair by the feeding portion, and then is resumed in a state in which the first feeding roller pair is changed from a separated state to a feedable state and in a state in which the obliquely feeding roller pair is put in a separated state, and then the sheet is fed to the second feeding roller pair. A short sheet fed by the first feeding roller pair is obliquely fed by the obliquely feeding roller pair and then is fed to the second feeding roller pair.